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Kidney Cancer: Statistics

ON THIS PAGE: You will find information about how many people learn are diagnosed with this type of cancer each year. You will also learn some general information on surviving the disease. Remember, survival rates depend on several factors. To see other pages, use the menu.

This year, an estimated 62,700 adults (39,650 men and 23,050 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with kidney cancer. Kidney cancer is the seventh most common cancer for men, and it is the tenth most common cause of cancer for women.

It is estimated that 14,240 deaths (9,240 men and 5,000 women) from this disease will occur this year.

The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The 5-year survival rate for people with kidney cancer is 73%. However, survival rates depend on several factors, including the type, cell type, and stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed.

Approximately 65% of people are diagnosed when the cancer is only located in the kidney. For this group, the 5-year survival rate is 92%. If kidney cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 65%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 12%.

It is important to remember that statistics on how many people survive this type of cancer are an estimate. The estimate comes from data based on thousands of people with this cancer in the United States each year. So, your own risk may be different. Doctors cannot say for sure how long anyone will live with kidney cancer. Also, experts measure the survival statistics every 5 years. This means that the estimate may not show the results of better diagnosis or treatment available for less than 5 years. Learn more about understanding statistics.

Cancer.Net provides timely, comprehensive, oncologist-approved information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), with support from the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Cancer.Net brings the expertise and resources of ASCO to people living with cancer and those who care for and about them to help patients and families make informed health care decisions.